Reaction of Charles University to the Passing of President Václav Havel












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            * Reaction of Charles University to the Passing of President Václav Havel
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            Charles University

            Ovocný trh 5, Praha 1, 116 36
            www.cuni.cz [ URL "http://www.cuni.cz/"]
            Charles University’s academic community wishes to express deep regret over the passing of 

            Havel. Throughout his life, Václav Havel embodied the ideals that should be a given in thi
            but they are sadly not.
            His values, expressed both in his actions and in his life, were closely related to the con

            democracy, courage, honour and justice – the core concepts of the European civilization. T
            correspond with the values embedded in the history of Charles University. Thanks to Havel’

            contribution, the university has been able to freely follow these values again since the V
            For these and other reasons, Charles University considered Havel a close colleague and gav
            honorary title of doctor honoris causa. On May 30, 1990, the university granted him the do

            remarkable moral and philosophical inspiration for political thinking of all mankind and f
            the history of our country.
            There have been many meetings with Václav Havel in the university’s Karolinum building, al

            and inspiring. We will all remember his last visit to the Great Hall in 2009, when he atte
            at which his friend Adam Michnik received his honorary doctorate. After the introductions,
            greeted with a long, powerful and honest applause. He had all the right to deserve such ap

            always will.
            The Czech Republic – and the whole world – is united over the loss of a rare, absolutely e
            at the same time, remarkably modest man. All of us Czechs and Slovaks are indebted to him 

            Without his strength, character, courage and his deep emphasis on the spiritual dimension 
            world would have been a worse place.                                                      
            Prof. Radim Palouš      Prof. Karel Malý        Prof. Ivan Wilhelm          Prof. Václav H
            Rector of Charles UniverRector of Charles UniverRector of Charles UniversityRector of Char
            (1990-1994)              (1994-2000)             (2000-2006)                 (since 2006)